By Renee Burgard

House Calls

Stress-reduction courses are sprouting like mushrooms - to the point where it’s becoming difficult to tell them apart. One course, mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), is distinguishable for its combination of practices and proven beneficial effects on the health and well-being of people who practice it regularly.

In a series of eight weekly two-hour classes and a one-day retreat, MBSR teaches awareness of breathing, body scan, mindful meditation and simple mindful yoga. The course builds people’s capacity to experience their own bodies, thoughts and emotions. Developing nonjudgmental self-awareness, acceptance and “beginner’s mind” - the ability to see things from a fresh perspective - are key.

The course was devised in 1979 by molecular biologist Jon Kabat-Zinn, who incorporated Buddhist meditation practices into stress-reduction techniques. He first taught MBSR at the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts.

Since then, the MBSR course has gained in popularity. It is offered in more than 250 clinics and hospitals nationwide and outlined in two popular books by Kabat-Zinn and Saki Santorelli: “Full Catastrophe Living” and “Heal Thy Self.”

Mindfulness is not the same as relaxation, although it can be relaxing. The idea is that by accepting what is about a situation or bodily sensation or emotion, one can experience a dissolving of a part of the problem.

For example, in a recent class several students reported an ability to reduce the discomfort of a cold spell by allowing themselves to “accept and just notice” the cold, decreasing the muscular tension accompanying their previous frustration. Their sensation of cold was actually lessened.

MBSR helps students with much more serious life problems as well. Marta, a 26-year-old up-and-coming biochemist, was paralyzed by multiple sclerosis two years ago. She embarked on an impassioned search for recovery, which included physical therapy, yoga and meditation. When she arrived at a Palo Alto Medical Foundation MBSR class in a wheelchair, she was determined to learn to walk again, move back into her own house and resume her old social life.

During the course, Marta learned to manage her frustration and anger about the many constraints of her life, including dependency on others. She also began to walk more independently using a walker. She said the course helped her realize that accepting herself as she is is an important goal.

While MBSR’s goal isn’t to cure or “fix” problems, this type of story is common. Marta felt a connection between her improvement and the practice of mindfulness. Research supports this observation.

The course teaches a simple lesson: to take time out to breathe; to notice; and to be aware of your own thoughts, feelings and bodily sensations. For interested people who are unable to take the course, reading Kabat-Zinn’s or Santorelli’s book provides a good start. For more information, logon to the Center for Mindfulness Web site at www.umassmed.edu/cfm.

Locally, MBSR courses are available at PAMF; El Camino Hospital; Stanford University Medical Center; and Kaiser Santa Clara, Mountain View and Redwood City. For more information on the PAMF course, call 853-2960.

Renee Burgard, LCSW, is an MBSR instructor and behavioral health specialist at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation. The Palo Alto Medical Foundation and column editor Arian Dasmalchi provide this monthly column.